Was Michael Jackson addicted to the drug demerol?
Jackson’s former video producer said the pop star, who died Thursday at age 50 from cardiac arrest, had a “20-plus year” addiction to the painkiller Demerol, as well as to a cocktail of other drugs. Jackson became so addicted that the video producer and other close associates tried to stage an intervention in 2003, but it derailed because of a world tour, said Marc Schaffel, who was named as an unindicted co-conspirator in Jackson’s 2005 child molestation trial. Jackson even wrote and performed a song about the drug Demerol, called “Morphine,” released in 1997. Both drugs are opioids. “Everybody around him knew about it,” Schaffel told ABCNews.com. “He didn’t advertise it to the world, but anybody in his inner circle knew.” Sources: http://abcnews.go.com/Health/MichaelJackson/story?
A writer for the Sun coaxed some paramedics and UCLA hospital employees into talking anonymously about Michael Jackson’s death today, and according to those sources, Jackson collapsed shortly after an injection of the painkiller Demerol. Reports the Sun: A Jacko source said: “Shortly after taking the Demerol he started to experience slow shallow breathing. “His breathing gradually got slower and slower until it stopped. “His staff started mouth-to-mouth and an ambulance was called which got there in eight minutes “But found he was in full respiratory arrest, no breathing and no pulse. They started full CPR and rushed him to hospital. “When he arrived they started resuscitation, giving him heart shocks and inserted a breathing tube and other supportive measures to try and save his life. “He never regained consciousness. The family was told that he had passed.” The Sun also has a photo of a paramedic’s computer screen displaying the information relayed by the dispatcher from the 911 call
